


The End of the Affair

by Lesgetthisstraight



Category: Holby City
Genre: Adultery, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-07
Updated: 2017-02-07
Packaged: 2018-09-21 08:53:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9540524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lesgetthisstraight/pseuds/Lesgetthisstraight
Summary: This takes place after "Prioritise the Heart" and it's a mixture of canon and my own nonsense.All my thanks and undying love to MajorBernieWolfe and Ames78 for all your help!This is the first fic I've ever written so please be gentle but constructive feedback is very, very welcome. If enough people like it, I might write more. It's very likely that this'll head in a pretty smutty direction so let me know if that's something you'd be interested in.





	

Bernie awoke with a jolt during what was shaping up to be a near sleepless night. She had returned from Albie’s, whiskey on her lips, heavy of heart, intending to tell Marcus it was over between them, but when she saw him and looked in his eyes, she knew she couldn’t hurt him like that. Instead she had offered to fix him a drink, but he told her he was tired and just wanted to go to bed. Bernie poured herself a generous serving of single malt from the cupboard and told him she’d sleep on the sofa, so as not to wake him later.  
So here she was, uncomfortably curled up on the settee and groggy from the lack of sleep and the drink, struggling to make sense of her thoughts. If she was not mistaken, what had woken her this particular time, at 4:06 in the morning, was not her back aching from the narrow sofa, or the blanket slipping off her feet, but thoughts of her colleague and friend, Serena.  


Choosing not to question her clouded mind any further, Bernie resolved to try to go back to sleep. 

A few hours later, and still feeling rough, Bernie slowly got up, hand gripping the small of her back, which had seized up during the night. She could hear Marcus stirring upstairs and, because she didn’t want to face him, Bernie grabbed her bag, ran a hand through her hair, threw her coat over her shoulders and made her way out the door. Luckily she had everything she needed in her army pack, which she kept at the bottom of her handbag. Years of living the unexpected meant she always had what she needed at the ready, a spare pair of underwear, deodorant and a toothbrush i.e. just the essentials. She could sort herself out once she got to the hospital.  


During the drive she asked herself why she’d decided not to say anything to Marcus last night. Her mind kept turning to the kids and what they’d think. Guilt and shame flooded in and Bernie shook her head involuntarily, as she thought about the past and the mistakes she’d made. She resolved that this time was different and she’d been dealt a new hand so she should play the game properly this time. Plenty of women are unhappy with their husbands, that didn’t mean that they should give it all up at the first blush of passion. She knew she was kidding herself, but she had to try to put a positive spin on it all.  


As she pulled into her usual space, her heart leapt into her throat. Across the car park she saw Serena. All of a sudden, she began to remember her hazy dream from last night. It came back to her in fragments. 

Bernie had left the bar and almost reached her car, before Serena’s hand was in hers and she had pulled Bernie away with a glint in her eye. Suddenly they were against the wall, somewhat out of sight. Serena was whispering and taking Bernie’s hand once again. Serena was looking at Bernie with her brown eyes all the while forcing Bernie’s hand beneath her clothes, then between her legs. Serena moaned and shuddered against the wall as she guided Bernie's fingers inside her.  


Bernie made herself snap out of it. She knew all that had been a dream, a whiskey-induced fantasy, but the strength of her feelings was becoming overwhelming and the arousal she now felt was very real. Bernie took a minute before heading into the hospital, trying to keep herself in check.  
_You’re married._ Bernie thought as she got out of the car. _She’s straight, get it together! Just avoid Serena and focus on keeping your marriage intact._  


Bernie finally made it into the hospital and had her head down in the lift, only looking up briefly to press the button for Keller Ward. Before the doors came to a close, Hanssen slipped through and came to stand next to Bernie. 

“Ms Wolfe, I was hoping to bump into you. I was wondering whether you’d mind helping out on AAU today; Mr Di Lucca is not well and I believe they’ll need an extra pair of hands.”  


Bernie changed into her light blue scrubs and freshened herself up before she made her way to AAU. Once she arrived, she stood around, unsure herself whether she was looking for Serena or looking to avoid Serena. Suddenly she was there, hand on Bernie’s shoulder. Bernie tried to make any reaction to her touch completely imperceptible.  


“Ah! Thanks for filling the breach, we’re really stretched with Mr Di Lucca off sick.” Bernie tried to ignore the intoxicating scent of Serena’s perfume, something she had never picked up on before, swallowed and said “glad to be of service.”

Time seemed to move at a snail’s pace. The shift had been agony; all Bernie could think of after surgery was lifting Serena up onto an empty desk, kneeling down on the floor in front of her, pulling her scrubs down to her ankles, spreading her legs...  


She couldn’t believe that one dream was having such a powerful effect on her, but she had to admit, she was now looking at Serena in an entirely new way.  


“Ms Wolfe, I want to thank you for all your help today, we truly couldn’t have coped without you.” Once again Serena put her hand on Bernie’s arm, causing a tingle to ripple its way through her.  
Bernie looked into Serena’s warm brown eyes and felt lost for a moment. “Um… you’re very welcome. Any time.”  
“A few of us are headed to Albie’s for a drink. Do you feel like coming along?”  
Bernie’s heart leapt at the thought. She obviously wanted to see more of Serena and she thought that with a work night out, she’d be able to reorient her feelings towards Serena back to the realm of friendship.  
“Count me in.”

When the shift was finally over and Bernie was back in civilian clothes she decided to wait for Serena at the lift. At the sight of Serena walking towards her, Bernie was forced to shove her hands roughly into her coat pockets to stop herself from noticeably fidgeting, as she was wont to do whenever she felt nervous. Bernie was struck straight away by the way Serena carried herself; she moved confidently and there was a sway to her walk which was extremely attractive.  


“It’s just little old me, I’m afraid. Everyone else has backed out”  
“Oh. Oh really?” Bernie asked. “I hope there’s nothing serious…?”  
Serena, not making eye contact, and with a playful smile replied with “No, nothing serious, just one of those things, anyway shall we go? I can hear the Shiraz calling, and I’d hate to keep it waiting”.  
“Yes. Right. Let’s go.” Bernie tried to decipher whether she was pleased it would be just the two of them or anxious that the combination of alcohol and amorous feelings did not a rational Bernie make.  


In the lift Bernie was immediately conscious of how close Serena’s body was. It felt as if there was an electric charge to the air and the silence between them was palpable. Bernie’s eyes travelled the length of Serena’s body, she hoped surreptitiously, but came to rest at the curve of her neck, which she could imagine stroking, and kissing, she found herself willing the lift to break down.  


_Doors opening_

Bernie snapped out of her reverie. As the doors opened she saw Marcus walking towards her, “What are you doing here?” She asked.  
“We have dinner plans, remember?”  
Bernie had no recollection of any such thing; she’d be hard pressed to remember any of the conversations she had had with Marcus in recent weeks.  
Serena cleared her throat and said “another time Bernie?” Bernie looked into her eyes for a second, reading them, and sensing… disappointment?  
Her own heart had sunk at the sight of her husband. It felt cruel to have such a promising evening lined up with Serena, only to have to spend it with Marcus instead, perhaps the Universe was punishing her for today’s sinful thoughts.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Serena was disappointed but she chose to hide it as best she could. Thrusting her hand out towards Marcus, she said “Serena Campbell”.  
She figured she might as well introduce herself, since no one else was speaking. Marcus took her hand in his, giving a slightly weak handshake, so Serena responded with a tight grip.  


“A pleasure”. Serena then looked at Bernie who still wasn’t saying anything but appeared deep in thought. 

“Bye, and thanks again for your help today”.  
“Why don’t you join us?” Bernie said slowly. “Uh… that is, if you want to?”  
Serena couldn’t help but smile as Bernie looked at her almost pleadingly through the lovely strands of her fringe. “Well, I don’t see why not. If I’m not imposing?”  


Marcus grunted something inaudible in response which seemed to indicate indifference. “That’s settled then!” Bernie’s spirits had lifted and as the three of them walked off towards the hospital entrance, Serena couldn’t help but notice that Bernie was walking much closer to her than her husband. Their fingers even gently brushed on a couple of occasions, which was a sensation that Serena was surprised to discover, she quite liked.


End file.
